Revival
by intothedeep27
Summary: In death, she falls, and in life, she rises. Thrown into a world at war, Uchiha Izumi's grief guides her sword, revenge sharpening her blade. Yet, the universe pities the warrior, for underneath her thick armor lies a lonely woman in search of a home that does not exist. [Semi AU; rewrite of Looking into His Eyes.]
1. Chapter 1

**Summary**: In death, she falls, and in life, she rises. Thrown into a world at war, Uchiha Izumi's grief guides her sword, revenge sharpening her blade. Yet, the universe pities the warrior, for underneath her thick armor lies a lonely woman in search of a home that does not exist.

* * *

**Disclaimer**: _I don't own Naruto or any characters and stories affiliated with it. All credit goes to Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

**Rebirth, **n. _re· birth  
_The process of being reincarnated or born again; a period of new life, growth, or activity: a revival.

* * *

**Revival****  
**_Chapter One_

Dying on your birthday was ironic, to say the least.

Growing up, Anna was the epitome of the sappy American suburban household: a stay-at-home mother, a father who worked a nine to five job, an annoying younger brother, and an overly-friendly golden retriever. She woke up, went to school, gossiped over pointless matters, and took the bus home. She would say _hi _to her seventy-year-old neighbor who brought over cookies every weekend and ignored the rude one who hated her from across the street.

She was simply a small-town girl from Upstate New York who, after graduating, tried living in a big city. So if you looked at the way she lived during college, it was bound to end as badly as it did.

Because of her _terrible_ decision making, Anna would never know whether or not she would walk across that stage to receive her college diploma after countless all-nighters; she would never know the love of another person nor the warmth of her own child in her arms. She would never feel proud of her little brother, graduating from high school to begin his journey into adulthood because...if she had known her life would end the way it did, she would have never taken the first vodka shot that led to countless more. She would have never taken out her phone hours later to walk across the street in a drunken haze, foolishly unaware of the headlights that shined in her direction.

Crash and bang, and that was that.

There were so many things Anna would do over again had she known that she was going to die the day she turned twenty-one.

But that isn't what this story is about, is it? It's not about the changes a girl made in her life to prevent her death or the story of what would have been her simple, humane life.

Oh, but don't worry, dear reader – this story _is _about her, that much is true. To know the truth behind this story, you must read on.

0O0

Darkness slowly became her friend, bleeding and worming its way into her soul until all she knew was its warmth, its cruelty, its loneliness. She no longer was the girl in the flashes of the life she had before. The girl she once was gone – dead, to be blunt, along with the body that she no longer inhabited. She was simply just t_here_, floating in the dark nothingness, both cold and warm, scared and happy, curious and content. She was all these things, yet she was not.

Was she human – or was she what humans deemed a soul?

Yet...she was also darkness and darkness was her. What once was separate was now ingrained into her being, whatever she may now be.

"Izumi!"

A distant voice; small, but echoing all around her. It helped pull her away from what she thought was death, finding herself drawn to it. If human, she would think that she ran in the location of the voice, searching for the owner of the one who called out for this...Izumi.

Was it someone just like her, alone in the dark? Was she no longer alone?

"God...please tell me she's okay–"

Would she finally have a companion in this eternity?

"_Move_, Madara – you're crowding me! I can't work with you breathing down my neck!"

She froze, stopping in her tracks. This voice, it was not talking to her. It spoke to a Madara, a name that brings a bout of pain – _her brother, even though an annoying little shit, forces her to watch a cartoon with him because Mom and Dad are at a dinner– _

What was that?

...A memory?

_Impossible. _

She was _no one_.

But a hidden part of her that still held into life, that still held hope, poisoned her mind with thoughts that should not have belonged. They were of a young child, a boy no older than ten, and it brought heartache; a pain she was not familiar with, yet _was_.

"...Sorry."

"_Anna! Watch this show with me! It's supposed to be a cartoon that's really popular in Japan."_

_She looked up from her phone, halfheartedly listening to her brother. "I don't know Alex, I'm pretty busy."_

"_Aww, come on!" He grabbed her hand and began pulling her in his general direction. "You don't look like you're doing much."_

"_Will you–"_

_Grabbing the phone, he ripped it out of her hand before dangling it before her. "I'll give it back once you watch TV with me."_

_Rushing to her feet, she reached for the phone but Alex jumped back, resulting in a bark from their elderly dog that sat by their feet. "Come back here, you little shit!" she screamed, grateful for the lack of adults in the house._

"_Watch the show with me and I promise I'll give you back your phone." Then, he quickly added, "I also won't tell Mom and Dad that you called me a shit._"

_"You__–"_

_"What's it gonna be, Anna?_"

_With a groan, she rolled her eyes and recognized that she would, in fact, lose this battle. "...Fine, if that'll get you to shut up."_

"_Yes!" He handed it back to her with a look of satisfaction, a smile adorning his face. _

"_What's the show even called?" she asked in annoyance, pocketing her phone and following him into the living room. _

"_Naruto."_

"_Naruto?"_

"_Yeah! They're fighting a bad guy called Madara right now."_

With the sudden emergence of the memory, she began to feel a...desire – a desire to live, to be able to see her younger brother again. Yet, she knew that it was impossible; she should not be able to remember, to feel, to _want_.

"Madara, I think she's waking up."

Because she was _dead_, dead dead_dead_–

"Don't _push_ me Izuna, you'll be able to see her too!"

_No_, she refused to succumb to death, to oblivion. For the first time since her arrival here, wherever it may be, she knew what she wanted – she wanted, no, _needed_ a body, she needed a _body–_

"Izumi, hey, it's okay, you were hurt but you should be okay now."

–_because she wanted to_ _live_.

"Izumi?"

With a rush, there was an overload of feelings. What was once blissful ignorance in the darkness, floating within nothing, was now unadulterated _feeling_. She could sense things all around her, _touching _her; was she alive? Was she gifted with the one thing that she had desired?

She wanted to bask in the warmth of what she instinctively recalled from a distant _distant _memory of the sun. And so, with great effort, Anna opened her eyes and...and the first thing she saw, with no surprise at all, was harsh sunlight, blaring down on her.

"Are you okay? Izumi?"

Izumi? What a strange name and the voice was even stranger, as it was different from the one who called for the girl before. Somewhat deeper but still high enough for her to recognize that it was a voice that belonged to a child. Raising a shaky hand to her face, her mind did not hesitate to inform her of what body she now possessed. In midair, she felt herself freeze, a scream building up within her at what she saw. Her hand – it was too pale, too..._small_.

_What happened to her?!_

"Izumi?!"

Looking to her right, she saw a group of children kneeling before her, all staring at her with what she could see was worry in their eyes. The tallest of the four shifted closer to her, his hand outstretched. "Hey, are you okay?" She flinched away from the friendly gesture, her eyes widened with fear and confusion. She looked at their faces, the beginnings of irrational panic quickly closing in on her.

Who _were _they, and better yet, who the _hell_ was Izumi? These children, they spoke Japanese to her in clothes she had never seen physically in her life outside of drawings in textbooks. Their Japanese was not the same as the one she learned as well, adding to the panic that was building in her chest.

"_Aniue_, what's wrong with her?"

At the tiny voice, she whirled to left, saw a boy who tried to crawl closer to her, but now hyperventilating, she pushed herself back into a large boulder away from him. She ignored the sudden flare of pain in her back as she took in all the faces around her.

They were similar, but they were not, in the sense that they must have been siblings. Did...did that mean she was like them too? That they were her siblings and vice versa?

"Izumi?"

Gulping, she turned to the boy who called out that name, not failing to recognize that the so-called Izumi was _her. _With her mediocre Japanese, she responded with the word the smallest boy next to her said earlier.

"Aniue?"

_Older Brother?_

The tense air dissipated as the smallest of the group jumped onto her, while the rest simply bowed their heads in relief. A sound of air left her chest as the body collided with her. But against her will, sharp pain in the back of her head caused a sudden cry to erupt from her throat.

"Izuna, what the _hell–_" Hands grabbed Izuna, pulling him away from her– "Give her some space!" The boy with the longest hair proceeded to push the younger two boys away, picking up Izuna with ease as another one of the brothers rushed to Izumi's aid. "Katsumi, check her wound."

Katsumi, the second oldest, reached for Izumi as he started to kneel down. "Hey, you'll be okay –" Eyes wide, he barely managed to grab her it in time before her eyes rolled back, falling unconscious. "..._Shit_." His hand immediately glowed green with the telltale sign of medical-ninjutsu, but being a child, his knowledge of it was mediocre at best, and he wasn't sure if it would be enough to help his younger sister.

The oldest of the five, Madara, continued to carry Izumi's twin brother, Izuna, in his arms as he assessed their current situation. As the older brother, his job was to ensure his younger siblings' safety, to stay uninjured; yet, because of his inability to simply _pay attention_, Izumi now had a serious head wound that refused to stop bleeding. "Will you have a better time healing her wound back at the house?"

"Honestly?" Katsumi turned around, his hands still supporting Izumi. "Yes. We have other supplies that can make up for anything I miss."

Madara remained silent for a minute, but seeing the worry in Arata, the middle child out of the five, he nodded his head. "Alright. You're going to have to carry her back, okay, Katsumi?"

"I'm fine with that." With a slight grunt, he was able to hoist the young girl onto his back, and within a matter of seconds, the siblings were ready to leave. Being that they were hanging around the open field near their home, it did not take them long to reach their house. With a flurry of opening slide doors and the pitter-patter of feet, Izumi was laying on a futon with gauze neatly wrapped all around her head, Katsumi's hand glowing above her once more; though, this time, there were several jars of medicinal herbs and pastes to help aid him in his healing.

"Aniue..." Madara turned to the hand gripping his shirt. "Should we get Kenji-sama? Maybe he can help Izumi-chan." Arata, the middle child of the five siblings, looked afraid, clearly in distress at today's events, his eyes were rimmed with tears.

Gently, he placed a hand onto his head and forced a smile, playing the role of the reassuring older brother. "It'll be okay. Katsumi is Kenji-san's apprentice, so he knows what he's doing."

"...What about Father, then? He'll be back soon."

At the mention of their father, Madara felt all the air leave his body. How could he have forgotten about him? _Stupid._ "As I said, it'll be okay." Yet, before he took a single step, the echo of an opening door froze everyone in their spot.

Father was home.

"Go to your room, okay?" With one last look at them, the younger boy ran to his bedroom as the remaining four siblings remained in the room. "Katsumi, Father's home."

"...I know." But with a smile, the second oldest tried to ease the tension in the air. "I finished her dressings and healed the open wound. She should be fine."

At that exact moment, the door slid open. Tajima, his face as hard as stone, slowly blinked as he stared at what he saw in front of him. Madara did not breathe or move, he did not do _anything_ as their father remained silent, his face disguising his thoughts.

"F-Father?" Izuna asked from behind Katsumi.

With a sigh, the tension in the air broke. Tajima rubbed his face, the blood-stained cloth Katsumi used earlier on the ground before him. "I see Izumi hurt herself today?"

"...Yes," Madara answered this time, his body filled with ice. "It was my fault, I should have been paying attention. I didn't mean for her to get hurt. I know you told me to watch over them–"

Their father did something unexpected, interrupting the boy. Tajima placed a gentle hand on his oldest child's shoulder. Although his voice was gruff from a day of yelling, he said, "Accidents happen, Madara. Be careful next time." Taking a long look at his only daughter, he asked Katsumi, "Will she be okay?"

"Yes, Father."

"Good." With that, he left.

The moment the door slid shut, Madara gasped for air as the feelings returned to his limbs. "He's in...a far better mood than I expected," he muttered, more to himself than anything.

"Honestly, he seemed more tired than anything."

"I wonder what happened with the Elders today." Madara frowned before turning around, only to see Izumi began to return to consciousness. She was shifting in her sheets as a low groan escaped into the room.

Izuna was the first to go to her side as he smiled. "Izumi, you're okay!"

"I...think so?" she whispered. Her eyes were wide as she took in her surroundings. The way she looked at them all, though...something was wrong. They remained the same brown but somehow, they were also darker? There was a weight to them that Madara swore he had only seen in the eyes of someone older, someone more mature. "Where am I?"

This time, it was Katsumi who answered. Madara, at first, thought that he too had seen the change in Izumi, but after watching him interact with their only sister, he knew that the younger boy had not.

"I just...I want to sleep," she muttered, her eyes slowly fluttering in a telltale sign of exhaustion. "Can I?"

With a nod, Madara pulled Izuna away from his sister and said to him, "Help Katsumi clean up, okay? You'll be able to see her later."

"Okay!"

Within a few seconds, the room was quiet and as Madara closed the blinds on the window, he turned around and saw Izumi staring at herself in the mirror. She was touching her face, her eyes, her hair, her clothes – almost as if it was the first time she was seeing herself. "Everything okay?" Madara walked over to her.

"I...yeah, I'm okay." She smiled, but something about it was off. "I'm tired."

Hoping to ease the blatant tension she was holding in her shoulders, he smiled before gently leading her back to the futon. "You've had a long day. Get some rest. If you're feeling up to it, I'll get Izuna to wake you before dinner, okay?" There was some hesitation, but she slowly nodded her head in agreement before he tucked her into the blanket. He took one last look at her before closing the door, leaving her alone in the darkness. The moment the doors slid shut, though, she sat up from the futon and turned straight to the mirror beside her bed, ignoring the ache in the back of her head.

Instead of a twenty-year-old young adult staring at her, there was a young Asian girl reflected in the mirror. Anna wanted to scream, to cry, to curse the gods or whatever the hell put her in this place, but before she could do anything, another flare of pain pushed her back down in the darkness of unconsciousness.

0O0

Anna jerked awake.

Shooting up, the first thing she noticed was all the flowers. Wherever she looked, beautiful daisies grew endlessly and she sat within them, their sweet scents aiding in the calming of her racing heart. The sky above was clear, not a cloud in sight, and as she slowly lifted herself from the ground, her eyes roamed the open field until they stopped, locating what she unconsciously had been searching for.

A tiny girl amongst the daisies, far _far_ away.

With nowhere to go, she began her journey towards the child. She allowed her hands to graze the top of the daisies as she walked past them, her sight enjoying the beauty they possessed. For so long, she knew only the dark. To see this brightness around her; it was a stark contrast to her previous life, wherever death had taken her. It had changed her, stolen a piece of her, only to replace it with a shadow that forever lingered within.

So it was no surprise that she wanted to cry at the beauty of life around her.

Knowing that someday she would have to return to the accursed hell that awaited everyone had Anna wanting to live forever, to steal to do _anything_ that would prolong her stay here. Her fear of that _hell_ clouded her judgement, but with every step closer to the young child, the more her thoughts became rational, no longer crazed with panic.

Her thoughts were soon interrupted when her steps stopped behind the girl, who sat on the ground with her back facing her. Recognizing immediately who this child was, the woman felt her breath leave her chest.

It was Izumi.

The little girl sat, oblivious to the events that led her here; instead, she innocently watched a bumblebee fly around her, harmless in its search for pollen. Anna, on the other hand, stood silently, watching the girl whose life she had taken.

Guilt settled quickly in her chest.

What felt like forever, but was only a matter of minutes, the young Uchiha finally turned around. Despite her sudden appearance, there was no shock or fear in Izumi's eyes. What shined in their place was a warmth that Anna refused to acknowledge. "Hi!" Izumi beamed, looking up at her. The rich brown eyes that she looked at the blonde with shined bright with childish innocence – an innocence that stemmed from the lack of awareness at the terrible sin the woman had committed to be where she stood at that moment. With this realization, a crack formed in Anna's soul. "I'm Izumi! I've never seen someone like you before."

"I…" Anna felt the tears building in her eyes, the words stuck in her throat. A silent sob escaped her mouth, resulting in a frown from the Uchiha.

"Are you okay, Miss? I'm sorry for upsetting you."

At these words, the blonde viciously shook her head, forcing a smile. "No no, you didn't upset me," she horribly lied.

This innocent child, who had so much life in her, and _she_ took it. Because she was selfish –_ desperate – _in her search for a life to possess. She did not realize, at the time, that to rejoin humanity, she would have to _kill _someone. If the victim had been an adult, perhaps she would not feel the way she did, but to know that she had stolen the life of a _child?_

"Okay then." With no warning whatsoever, Izumi grabbed Anna's hand and led her to a flower a few feet away. "I wanna show you something!" Feeling choked up, the young adult had to remind herself to breathe, to accompany herself along to the childish whims of the girl. "Look!"

Anna's eyes followed the finger that pointed to the flower before her. Crawling on the strangely colored petal was a ladybug, bringing another wave of guilt that threatened to drown her.

"A ladybug?"

"Yeah!" Izumi practically trembled with excitement beside her. "Isn't it so cute? Only Katsumi ever thinks they're cute," she mumbled. Anna heard a hint of sadness in her voice, prompting her to kneel and match the girl's height.

"What…" She hesitated in her question, the large unblinking eyes creating a deeper fracture in her soul. "What do you remember?"

"Me? Hmm…" Izumi placed a finger against her pursed mouth, eyes looking towards the sky above them in thought. Anna smiled sadly at this sight. "I was playing with Izuna and then I fell, and then I was here. It's okay, though; I like it here with all these pretty flowers. I can even stay here forever!"

Could she, though? How long until the child recognized the fact that she was trapped, with no escape back to the life she once knew? She would die here, alone, with no one to hold her, to comfort her.

But...Anna was _so_ selfish; she didn't want to return to the darkness – she _couldn't._ She feared the eternal abyss and wanted nothing more than to continue living.

She placed a hand on Izumi's shoulder, her mouth opening to say something when a crack in the sky stopped her. The young girl saw nor heard nothing, her mind occupied with the same ladybug that now crawled on her hand.

A second later, another crack appeared. In the distance, she could see darkness creeping from the horizon towards them and Anna knew immediately what it was, her heart falling.

Death was coming and with it, she came to the realization that she could never let Izumi die. Despite all her thoughts of wanting to live, to never return to the darkness, the memories of who she was before, and the woman she could have been prevented her from taking a step towards the path of a murderer. She could never forgive herself, never be able to live a full life knowing that another had to die for her to be where she stood.

Biting her bottom lip, she smiled once more. "Izumi, I need you to look at me." The young girl complied, her eyes meeting with her own. "I want you to wake up."

With these words, the world around them suddenly burned bright, inciting a surprised cry from them both. It lasted merely a second but with the decision Anna had made, it changed the world around them. The tumbling black clouds were no more, the sky above healed. Where there was once only flowers, now in the distance also stood a large forest, trees tall and proud. In the middle of the field was a clearing where a small, quaint cottage stood, a gentle wind carrying the aroma of the flowers all around them.

It was so beautiful.

For the first time since the return of her memories, Anna cried. It scared the young child, the change around her and in the woman. Recognizing that her hysteria would do no good for her situation, she forced down the manic laugh that threatened to burst from her lungs and placed a gentle hand against Izumi's cheek.

"Live, Izumi. You were never meant to meet me, to be here, trapped in your own mind." The words meant nothing to the child, who looked at her with wide, confused eyes. "You don't understand now but one day you will."

Standing up, her knees popping from kneeling, the young woman held out her hand to Izumi. Unlike earlier, there was a slight hesitation from the child, but as Anna began leading them towards the home, the flowers bloomed around them. She swore she could hear childish laughter from the plants all around them and a familiar voice from her past. Were these daisies symbols of this child's memories? Or were they hers?

"Where are we going?"

"_I'm_ going to my new home." At the steps, Anna sat down and faced Izumi, who remained standing on the grass. "You, on the other hand, will open your eyes to your room."

"My room?"

With a gentleness that she knew she did not possess before, she nodded. There was no forced smile anymore and in the distance, the horizon began to fade away. There was no fear this time because she knew it would be fine.

Everything would be okay.

"I'll be watching over you, okay? You won't remember me, our meetings, or your little ladybug friend who tagged along for the ride," Anna informed, gently picking the bug off of Izumi's shoulder, "but one day when you're ready for the truth, I'll be here."

"I don't understand."

"I know, Izumi, I know." The light was almost overbearing but it bothered Izumi none, and with that, Anna knew her time with the young girl was coming to an end.

At least, for now.

"Never stop smiling, okay?"

"What do you mean?" With a confused frown, Izumi stubbornly shook her head. "I don't understand! You're making no sense!" she shouted, stomping her feet.

At the childish outburst, Anna laughed and turned her eyes to the sky. Tears streamed down her face as she felt her body give away, her surroundings melting into one, but with a peaceful calm, she smiled widely before closing her eyes.

"_Goodbye, Izumi._"

And when Izumi awoke, her eyes blinking at the familiar beige ceiling above her, all she remembered was playing ninja with her twin brother. The young blonde woman was forcibly taken from the child's memory by the woman herself, who remained hidden in her own small world in Izumi's mind. Her selfishness stubbornly clung to life, living on in spirit within the young child. But for her, this was enough.

Anna would not appear in the young child's mind for the many _many _years that would come.

* * *

**Chapter One – **End

* * *

**A/N**: _Oof, it's been a hot minute since I last touched anything related to Naruto. This was in my files and I figured, why not, you know? I always loved this story and the characters I created, and the original story, Looking into his eyes, is a cringefest (at least, to me) so that's why I'm here now. Depending on the response I get on this story, it'll definitely change how much I write - but like always, we'll see._

_This story has a whole new title now, with a new summary for those who remember the original. It fits better though, I think because my writing style has changed so much, along with my state of mind of how I want this story to go. It's an actual rebirth of the story, as the title says._

_Anyways, don't hesitate to leave a review behind! _


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary**: In death, she falls, and in life, she rises. Thrown into a world at war, Uchiha Izumi's grief guides her sword, revenge sharpening her blade. Yet, the universe pities the warrior, for underneath her thick armor lies a lonely woman in search of a home that does not exist.

* * *

**Disclaimer**: _I don't own Naruto or any characters and stories affiliated with it. All credit goes to Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

**Rebirth, **n. _re· birth  
_The process of being reincarnated or born again; a period of new life, growth, or activity: a revival.

* * *

**Revival  
**_Chapter Two_

Two years would pass without any incident for the Head Family, the children enjoying their lives to their full extent. Yet, war _was _waging outside of the Clan walls, and the family would soon come head to head with the tragedies it possessed.

"Madara!"

A sigh, then, "...Yes, Izumi?"

"Can I join?"

"...We've gone over–"

"Of course not!" The siblings all flinched, their attention turning to their instructor. Uchiha Genzo, the youngest of the Elders but still old enough for the children of the clan to secretly call him _Old Man_, glowered at the young girl. "You must maintain your studies as a reminder to the future women of the clan. Becoming a shinobi is not a job meant for little girls."

"But," Izumi pursed her lips, looking at all of her brothers, "Why not? Izuna's training to become one. We're the same."

With a sound of annoyance, he turned to Madara. "You must explain to Izumi as to why she is unable to train with you all. The council has already spoken about this to your father, so I don't understand why she still comes with you during your designated training hours."

"I…" Madara frowned. "Okay. You all, continue the katas with Genzo-san." A gentle hand on her shoulder, he led his youngest sister aside from the brothers. "Hey-"

"It's not fair!" The young girl exclaimed the moment they were out of earshot, her eyes wide with anger. "Just 'cause I'm a girl means I can't train with you guys?"

"Izumi–"

"Izuna's training too! We do everything together!"

"_Izumi_," he said firmly, interrupting her. At his tone, she closed her mouth, her lips thinning with displeasure. "I know you want to train with us but you just can't. Besides, it's _really_ boring just doing stretches," he tried persuading. He walked over to the bag she had placed in the corner of the dojo earlier and handed it to her. "You have work from Harumi-san, you should be focusing on that. I thought you liked her?"

"I do like her...but what we're doing right now is _boring_!" she complained to the top of her lungs. "All she's making me do is sew or practice my handwriting!"

The eleven-year-old internally sighed, feeling a headache forming at his sister's outburst. He knew that in mere seconds, her brown eyes would fill with tears if she did not get what she wanted, and judging by the glares that Genzo-san was sending them, the man's patience was running thin.

"How about I talk to Father about this again, okay? Maybe this time he'll let you do some things with us."

"No!" Izumi stomped her feet, her hands balling into fists. "I–"

"That is _enough_." Genzo stormed towards them, forcing Madara back, and roughly grabbed her face, glaring at the young girl. She fearfully tried pulling away and after a moment – accompanied with a slight whine of pain – he let her go, instead, grabbing her arm. The older boy wanted to protest against the rough handling of his younger sister, but he knew his place; for now, he was to obey his Elders, even if that meant standing to the side while his siblings were disciplined.

The Elders were to be respected by them all, which explained why Izumi's outburst was a problem. It was inappropriate for a child of the clan head to act the way she was, and so, as much as it pained Madara, he knew that she needed to understand this _now_ and not later.

"This is unbecoming of the daughter of the Uchiha, do you hear me, you insolent child?" Genzo dragged the younger girl towards the door, sliding it open with one hand. "From now on, you are not to intrude on your brothers as they train to protect this clan and all it stands for – they have their jobs, and _you_ have yours!" Throwing her out, Izumi landed uncomfortably on the tatami floor and quickly scrambled to her feet, her eyes wide. "Now, _stop _disturbing us!"

And then, with a slam, the door slid shut with a loud bang, leaving her alone in the hall. Somehow during this ordeal, she had still held onto her bag with her hands; her grip on it tightened as her bottom lip began quivering in her attempt to stop herself from crying, as she had been instructed countless times that crying would do her no good; after all, it was inappropriate for her to cry because of who she was.

She failed to prevent some tears from escaping but her sobs stayed at bay.

With a tentative step, though, she raised her arm to knock on the door again, but her eyes went straight to the red circle on her arm from the tight, painful grip that the Elder had on her mere seconds ago. She may have been six, but she knew when she was not wanted in a room.

So with a sniffle, Izumi quietly turned and walked away, her bag now dragging behind her.

She would find herself in front of Harumi-san's room minutes later and when she knocked, she politely bowed as the door slid open. She could only see the woman's socks at the moment, but Izumi didn't have it in her to turn back up. All the emotions she had been keeping at bay from her trek from the other side of her home released in a rush. The tears she had so desperately tried to stop began streaming as her shoulders shook.

"Izumi?"

Gulping, the little girl slowly turned up, her lips quivering. "I-I'm sorry," she whispered.

Harumi, at the sight of Izumi, immediately kneeled down and placed both hands against the sides of her face. The tears continued streaming, cheeks red and splotchy from her crying, and the mere warmth of human contact caused ugly sobs to come tumbling out of her mouth.

Knowing that someone was bound to come into the hall to hear the commotion, the young woman gently led the little girl into her office before sliding the door closed, where she did not hesitate to enclosed Izumi into a hug, repeating to her over and over again, _it's okay_.

It would take Izumi a few minutes of crying before it died down to a sniffle, finally allowing Harumi to pull away without worry. She continued kneeling before the little girl, allowing her to be at the same height as she gently placed a hand against Izumi's cheek with motherly affection.

This action alone could get her fired if anyone saw, Harumi knew. She was hired to simply take care of the girl in her studies, to teach her all she would need to know for the next few years until another tutor would be hired to replace her. Those in higher positions saw Izumi not as the child she was but as a pawn in the political game that all clans played by. Harumi was an investment in Izumi's future towards building and strengthening relations with their allies; she wasn't hired to be this girl's mother.

Yet, a year ago when she first began her job at the house, there was a loneliness to the then five-year-old looked at her with that did not belong on a child. She was isolated from those her age because of her status at the heiress, so she simply had no friends outside of her siblings, and with the lack of a maternal figure in her life, Harumi found herself risking her position as Izumi's tutor every day to try and help lighten the girl.

"Tell me what happened." Izumi nodded before recounting her incident with Genzo, slowly and fearfully. At the end of it, Harumi needed to remind herself to hold back her rage; her anger was hidden behind a mask but beneath it was boiling. A tense silence fell over the two, and as she stood up from kneeling by the door, Izumi followed her to their usual seats in the back – with her sitting _seiza_ at her desk, her legs folded beneath her, and with Izumi sitting identically to her at her own table. "Is that why you apologized?" Harumi asked once they both settled.

"...Yes," Izumi mumbled, once again refusing to look at her. "I didn't mean to make him mad; I just want to be with my brothers."

This was a sentiment that she quite frequently said during their sessions together. The young woman leaned onto the table, her face softening as she tried to explain, _once again_, Izumi's situation with the Elders and training. "I know how much you want to be with them but didn't Tajima-sama talk to you about it?"

"Father?" At the mention of her father, Izumi slightly perked up. "He was the one who said it'd be okay to watch."

Internally, Harumi cursed. _Of course, he did_ – he saw no wrong with women training to be a kunoichi as his wife had been one, but the Elders of the Uchiha Clan were old men and women who saw female ninjas with a nasty eye, disliking that it went against _their_ personal morals, which led to them trying to ban the training of kunoichis in their clan altogether years ago. It failed to pass officially but throughout the clan, it had succeeded in certain places; many women in the midst of their training quit from societal pressures, and it upset Harumi to this day to say she had crumbled under said pressure.

Excuses were thrown about, such as age and marriages, a falling childbirth rate and the raising of children, but Harumi fell under none of those excuses. Her own for quitting was both from the lack of support from her parents _and_ from being too anxious to actually go through with becoming a soldier, to risk death on a daily basis.

And now, five years later, she was at the age where she was not old, but at twenty-seven she remained unmarried and childless; with her position near the Clan Head's family, she was beginning to feel the Elders disapproval of her personal decision against marriage.

"Harumi-san?"

Shaking her head, Harumi pulled herself away from those thoughts and turned her attention back to the little girl. "Izumi, I think…" With a tired sigh, she continued, "I think you need to listen to Genzo-sama. If the Elders say that you can't train, then you can't. There's only so much your father can do against them. We talked about their position in the Clan yesterday, remember?"

"_But–_"

With a firm but gentle tone, Harumi interrupted the girl. "I know you just want to be with your family, but the Elders don't see it like that." There was so much more to it that Izumi would learn later in the future, but for now, this answer was the best that she could do. But this issue with the training, it was starting to become a trend; every week or so, the child would find some way to divert their sessions towards shinobi training.

Harumi, at the back of her mind, began to think that maybe...just _maybe_, she could–

At this sudden thought, she forced herself away from it. She could _not_ go against the Elders like that, for so many reasons. For one, she would be tried for endangering the clan heiress, which was something she wanted to avoid at all costs.

_But– _

–_No_, she couldn't.

Her mind made up, she looked up with the words at the tip of her tongue, only to see Izumi bowing her head, her hands clasped in her lap as her shoulders fell. "...Okay," Izumi whispered a second later, a defeat in her voice that Harumi had never heard from the six-year-old in their time together. Whatever she had wanted to say disappeared, a lump in her throat replacing it instead. She gulped, her mind going in circles from the thoughts that were running rampant in her mind.

The thought of training Izumi, or at least allowing the young girl to know basic skills in evasion, would be very beneficial to her and _had _been bothering Harumi for the past few weeks. As the only daughter of the clan head, Izumi would be an easy target from enemy clans even more so than her brothers due to the outlier she was with a lack of fighting ability.

Without permission, she risked so much, _but– _

"I'll train you."

The moment those three words left Harumi's mouth, a silence fell across the room. Izumi's head shot up, her eyes widening and brows raised, as she looked taken aback from the sudden statement.

...Hell, even Harumi herself was shocked at the words.

"I'll...I'll train you," she said more strongly. Straightening her back, she allowed herself to take a deep breath despite the weight of this decision settling in her chest. "I trained for a few years to be a kunoichi before becoming a tutor. I can't promise anything other than basic evasion skills and defense–"

"Thank you!" Izumi jumped across the table and shot forward, slamming herself into the woman, her arms tightening around her neck. "Thank you so much!"

With a quiet chuckle, Harumi allowed herself to return the hug, her heart warm but heavy for the change training was going to bring.

"You can't tell anyone, okay?" Pulling away, she placed both hands on the girl's shoulder and held on tightly. "Not even Izuna. Absolutely _no one_ can know, do you understand?" Immediately, she saw the conflict in Izumi's eyes. "If you tell _anyone_, I'll lose my position as your tutor and...and I won't be able to see you again, ever." It hurt her to even say those words but they rang true. "So you have to promise me this or I won't train you. These are my terms."

"...Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Although Izumi was fidgeting under the pressure, she nodded her head, more determined than ever. "I promise."

"Good. We'll start tomorrow then."

Months would pass from this day: children grew, battles were fought, birthdays were celebrated.

A typical day for Izumi: she woke up, had breakfast, played with her siblings until they all went their separate ways with Madara away, gone with their father, Katsumi continuing his studies under Kenji, the Uchiha's head medic-nin, Arata and Izuna with Genzo for beginner training, and Izumi with Harumi.

The two did simple stretches approved by the Council before starting their daily sessions together that were not out of place if anyone were to see them. They then proceeded to go throughout the afternoon with nothing out of place: embroidery in the morning, a break for lunch, then more intensive studies until the day broke and it was time for her to return back to the main compound in her home.

It was only when the day turned to night when the _real_ excitement began.

Quietly, Izumi snuck out of her room to where the dojo stood and slid it open, Harumi already preparing for their training together. As Harumi watched her go through simple stretches to warm up the body, she would place a small genjutsu in the hall that if someone were to trip over the jutsu, it would warn Harumi, all while muffling whatever sounds they made in the dojo to help conceal their presence. It was by no means a full proof plan as anyone could break the genjutsu due to the obvious nature of the Uchiha clan - the Sharingan - but it allowed for them to be more prepared in the case that someone _did _come.

Once everything was set, they would then begin.

They always started with conditioning, such as the typical pushups and planks, running around the dojo to warm the body up, before starting on the katas and simple sparring. In the beginning, it had been hard for them both – Izumi was a beginner, so she needed to learn how to move and contort her body in ways she did not know, and Harumi needed to retrain her body, to move old muscles into positions that hadn't been worked on in years since she quit her training. It started off quite rough, but after months of laughs, tears, and smiles, they now had a rhythm between them that had not been there before.

For now, it was flexibility and training on how to break a fall properly, and then Harumi would call it a night.

This was a standard day for the Uchiha heiress, until one day, it wasn't.

* * *

**Chapter Two **– End

* * *

**A/N**:_ Short but I've been sitting on this for too long and I was fed up with trying to fix it. I'm working on chapter three as I now have time, especially with uni classes now done for the semester __– __which have been taking up most of my time. I'm so happy to see the response to the first chapter and I'm sorry that it's taken this long to say anything about it, but thank you guys so much. I made little adjustments to the first chapter and rewrote the summary a little, but nothing too extreme. I hope you enjoy this chapter and what I have planned. _

_Please leave a review, I love to read your guys thoughts and ideas!_


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